Cabinet Extends Jal Jeevan Mission to 2028

Extension Period: Up to December 2028
Total Outlay: Rs 8.69 lakh crore (enhanced)
Target Households: 19.36 crore rural households (100% coverage)
Current Coverage: 15.80 crore households (81.61%) have tap connections
Digital Framework: Sujalam Bharat – unique Sujal Gaon/Service Area ID for every village, mapping source‑to‑tap
Community Ownership: Gram Panchayats and Village Water Sanitation Committees to certify "Har Ghar Jal" under the Jal Arpan scheme
Strategic Vision: 24×7 rural drinking water supply under Viksit Bharat @2047, shifting to a citizen‑centric utility model

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) launched in 2019 to provide safe and adequate drinking water to every rural household.
JJM 2.0 builds on the first phase, focusing on sustainability, digital governance, and participatory monitoring.
The mission aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and India’s commitment to universal water access.

Health Impact: WHO estimates prevention of 400,000 diarrhoeal deaths and saving 14 million DALYs.
Gender Equality: 9 crore women freed from water‑fetching, enabling greater economic participation.
Child Health: Nobel laureate Prof. Michael Kremer projects a 30% reduction in under‑five mortality (~1.36 lakh lives saved annually).
Employment Generation: IIM‑Bangalore & ILO estimate 5.99 million direct and 22 million indirect person‑years of employment.
Digital Governance: Sujalam Bharat creates a unified data platform for planning, monitoring, and accountability, reducing leakages and improving O&M.
Fiscal Commitment: The Rs 8.69 lakh crore outlay reflects a major budgetary allocation, signalling water security as a national priority.

Article 21 (Right to Life): The Supreme Court has interpreted the right to life to include the right to clean drinking water.
National Water Policy 2012 & 2023: Emphasise equitable access, sustainability, and community participation—principles embedded in JJM 2.0.
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974: Supports the quality aspect of water supply under the mission.

Gram Panchayat Certification: Self‑certification as "Har Ghar Jal" after verifying O&M mechanisms.
Whole‑of‑Government Approach: Coordination among Ministry of Jal Shakti, Rural Development, Finance, and State Governments.
Monitoring: Real‑time dashboards via Sujalam Bharat; periodic audits by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

Financing Gaps: Ensuring timely fund flow to states and ULBs.
Capacity Building: Training Panchayat members and water utility staff.
Water Source Sustainability: Balancing extraction with recharge, especially in water‑stressed regions.
Behavioural Change: Promoting water conservation at household level.

Prepared for UPSC aspirants – focus on factual details, policy implications, and analytical angles.